Portland officer pleads guilty to drunken and reckless driving, gets community service over DA's objection

A Portland police officer who was convicted of careless driving and briefly faced a domestic violence restraining order last year has now pleaded guilty to driving drunk and reckless driving.

John Patrick Shadron, 40, was arrested Nov. 14 after he rear-ended a pickup stopped at a red light in Gresham, continued through the intersection and almost collided with a second vehicle before knocking over an electrical box and crashing into a fence.

Shadron, who was off-duty at the time, refused a breath test. The pickup driver, Fredrick McLeod, 60, a retired Washington County deputy sheriff, suffered a shoulder injury.

Shadron initially faced seven charges, including misdemeanor driving while under the influence of intoxicants, fourth-degree assault, failure to perform duties of a driver when property is damaged, second-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.

Under a civil compromise reached with the two other motorists, Shadron and his insurer agreed to pay $117,650 for their injuries or property damage. Under the agreement, five of the seven charges Shadron faced were dismissed.

The Multnomah County district attorney's office objected to the civil compromise.

On Friday, Shadron pleaded guilty to the remaining two charges: misdemeanor driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving.

At the sentencing hearing, Jeffrey Howes, Multnomah County senior deputy district attorney, described not only Shadron's November arrest, but also a January 2010 incident in which he chased an estranged girlfriend through Gresham, weaving across lanes, and driving in the bike lane after her car, Howes said. He was charged with reckless driving, but pleaded guilty in March 2010 to careless driving and was fined.

On Jan. 10, 2010, the day of that encounter, his estranged girlfriend obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Shadron, citing his emotional instability. She wrote that he yelled at her and swerved into her lane, and that night sent her "uncomfortable" emails, and on other occassions, called her work and showed up at her home unwanted. Ten days later, she withdrew the order, writing she no longer felt in harm's way after talking to law enforcement and an attorney.

On Nov. 14, Howes said Shadron was driving erratically on U.S. 26 when he came up at a high rate of speed and rear-ended McLeod's car at Southeast Orient Drive and Salquist Road. He continued through the intersection and almost collided with motorist Holly Hanson before crashing into a fence.

Howes said the civil compromise should not lessen what Shadron did, noting that McLeod still suffers from his shoulder injury.

"All those charges have been civilly compromised, but I don't think they should diminish the gravity of this situation," Howes told Judge Michael McShane Friday.

Howes argued that Shadron deserved a stiffer penalty.

"We'd suggest, in addition to the usual conditions, that this defendant be sentenced to five days in jail," Howes said. "That's what we ask for in cases like this. We'd treat similarly-situated people the same."

Prosecutors have sought a jail sanction in other DUII cases that result in injuries.

Shadron's lawyer, Shelly Perkins, said her client has taken full responsibility for his actions and asked for community service.

McShane rejected jail for Shadron, saying it could mean he'd lose his job, and instead tacked on additional community service hours.

"It's hard to know how to balance things," McShane said. "You are held to a higher duty. On the other hand, no matter what your job is and who you are, my goal is never to have you lose the things you have going for you in life, if we can avoid it."

McShane said he found Shadron remorseful, and recognizes he does a "great service to the community" as an officer.

McShane gave Shadron two years of enhanced bench probation, with an additional 120 community service hours. He'll undergo an alcohol evaluation, treatment and have his license suspended for a year and 90 days.

"Is your job accommodating that piece of it?" McShane asked.

"For now they are," Shadron replied.

He must return to court Sept. 23 to update his progress. If Shadron returns to court then without having fulfilled the conditions of his probation, he could face a 30-day jail sentence, McShane said.

McShane said Wednesday that he had been impressed that Shadron entered treatment immediately after the November arrest, and didn't wait for the court to order him to do so. The judge said he treated Shadron as any other defendant entering a guilty plea to their first DUII is treated in court.

Shadron, a 12-year bureau member, has been assigned to the bureau's telephone reporting unit since the day after his drunken driving arrest, and remains there. He'll seek a hardship permit to drive to and from work, his attorney said. A police internal inquiry will now go to the bureau's performance review board. -- Maxine Bernstein